Button setting machine



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f A. Gr. vWILKINS, f

` BUTTON SETTING'MAGHINEY. y l N0..s81,31o. mamaApr;17;1888.l

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LTC? (c1 i f il (No Modem 1 A. G. WILKINS.

. A BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.v

No. 381,310. Patented Apr. 17, 1888.

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\ A. G. WILKINS. v

BUTTON SETTING- MACHINE.

No. sail-,310..` vmelmaApr, 17,1688.

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A.' G. WIL'KIN-s. n* l BUTTON SETTING MAGHIYNE.-

To,381,310'.l PatentedA-pr.,11,1388..

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` UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER G. wiL'KrNs, o'E MEADvrLLE, PENNSYLVANIA, AssieNoE'oE oNEHALE To ANDY L.1DUNBAE, or sAME rLAcE.

BUTTON-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381.310, dated April 1'7, 1888.

Application filed December 7, 1887. Serial No. 257,237. (No model.)

'To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER G. WIL- KINs, of Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Setting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bel a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains ro to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines to afx buttons upon shoes, known as buttonsetting machines, and more particularly to a type in which the buttons are vertically fed to clinching-dies and secured in place on a shoe by the insertion and proper clinching of a staple.

The object of my present invention is to produce a button-setting machine that'will be simzo ple in construction, have few working parts, lbe reliable in action, and'that may be worked K by the foot of an operator or other applied power. y

' A further object is to provide a button setting machine with peculiarly-formed clinch-- y ingdies, which willvby-their-action lap the ends of the button-staple side by side and set them against the shoeiap or other article to which buttons are to be affixed.

3o A further object is to furnish a vertical button and staple holding and feeding magazine, that will be held in place by the frictional contact of the buttons and the combined weight of the buttons and staples, so as to dispense with any lockingstops for such a magazine and allow it to be rotated by design to bring its chutes oppositea raceway in the button-setting machine, to discharge buttons and staples into such la raceway, and at the same time prevent 4o any accidental displacement of the magazine.

With these objects in view my inventiony 5o`machine, representing the sliding upper portion at its lowest point of vertical travel, or when the machine is clinching a button-staple to secure a button in place.- Fig. 3 is a vertical section'of the machine through the cen ter, viewed from the right side of the device. Fig. el. is a view of the staple-guiding block enlarged, having its front Wall broken -away to show the oblique guiding-channels' that are located init and the guide-rods thatare affixed to it. Fig. 5 is a top View of thel staple-guid- 6o ing block and pivoted spacing-tongue, shown in opened adjustment. Fig. 6 is a plan view of themagazine. Fig. 7 shows a section of 'a shoe-flap with a button clinched upon it. Fig. p 8 is a sectional view on line .for ofFg. 3. Fig. 65

-9 is a detached view of the staplelupsetting die that islocated to slide acrossthe lower end of the racewayfwhen a staple is to be clinched. Fig. l() is a detached view of the spacingtongue; and Fig. 1l is a side view, partly in 7o I section, showing the several parts yin the act 'stantial base for the other parts of the buttonsetter, and is perforated at several points to allow screws t'o be insertedinto Aa bench or other supporting-stand above the loor'a suit.-

able'dist-ance to be convenient for operation So of the machine. v

Uponl the upper surface of the flange A of the base portion A and integral with it a column or guide-post, A2, iserected. This guidepost is preferably made oval in cross-section to afford room for the formation of two parallel holes through it for the reception of slid#v ing bars,which are attached to the upper por tion of the machine and which will be` more fully described in their proper order- In front of the guide-post A*z a'forwardlyprojecting T- shaped -langel or web, A3, vis formed, the outer transverse head,'At,of w-hich is vertically perforated, two parallel holes being formed through this T-headJ? The perforations -of the T-head Atare ing tended as guideways for two parallel guidea rods, a, which are attached at their upper ends to the staple-guiding block B.. The lower ends A of the guide-rods a are securedto a spacing ice plate, a', so as to firmly hold these rods parallel to each other and free to slide in the perforations of the transverse T head A. Through a hole' in the center of the spacingplate a', firmly attached to the T-head A, a guide-rod, b, projects downwardly. It is thus located in the 'same vertical plane and about central between the sliding guide-rods a, to which it is parallel. The depending guiderod b has a collar-plate, b', secured to it just below the spacingplate n. The collar-plate b is of sucient diameter to rest upon the securing-nuts a2, which are aixed to the lower ends of the guide-rods a, and bear against the lower surface of the spacing-plate a',`to hold the rods and plate together. A spiral spring, c, is placed upon the guiderod b, and is adapted to be adjusted to exert proper force against the collar b by a nut, b. NOW it is apparent that if the staple guiding block B is vpressed uponwith sufficient force the spring c will yield and the guiding-block be depressed.

Central between the parallel guide-rods a the anvil-bar -d is secured rigidly upon the T-head At, so as to project vertically and slide in a slot made to receive it in the staple guiding block B, the anvil-bar' d having its free upper end square with its sides, and :its top surface made concave or dished from all its edges toward its center to clinch a staple properly. In height the anvil-bar is so prol portioned that when the staple-guiding-block B is fully raised by, the spring c the dished top end of the anvil-bar will be inserted in the slot in this block B, and at rest near the bottom of the same. The staplefgniding block B is made of two flat plates o f metal,`w hich are attached tothe 'rods a, parallel to each other, and spaced apart by theupper endsof the rods, which are flattened andhave their adjacent 'edges extended toward eachother, so as to formthe parallel edges of the slot through whichl the anvil-bar d rises when the block B is depressed. Immediately above thevertical parallel sides of the slot just mentioned the flattened portions of the upper ends of the guide-rods a are cut on an .incline, so as to provide a throat of sufcient width at the upper edge of the block B to receive the parallel prongs of a staple that may be presented points downward to enter this throat,which is gradually contracted till the upper edge of the anvil-bar slot is reached; or, in other words, this slot is gradually widened from its top edge to the top edge of the block B, so as" to produce inclined jaw-faces e e on the upper ends of the parallel guide-rods a. e In the jaw-faces just mentioned oblique grooves are cut that extend from the top edge of the block B downwardly and diagonally across the inclined faces e e', till the grooves'intersect the vertical groove or slot in which the anvil-A bar D is located. The diagonal grooves e e' are'inclined in vopposite directions and from opposite sides of the elongated throat,fso that a staple which is forced down these grooves will have its prongs orlegs diverted laterally,

andwhen made to forcibly impi'nge against the fixed anvil-bar d will be folded parallel to each other lengthwise, thus clinching the staple by its contact with the concave surface of the anvil-head, which will throw the staplelegs together and bed their points in theleather ofthe shoe-flap, to prevent injurious contact with the foot of the wearer of the shoe the buttons of which are thus secured.

In the upper edge of the rear side of thel? l stapleguide block B a notch is cut near the produce a cam-edge, t', that is designed to engage a seat, t", cnt on the vertical outer face of 9o the T-head A* of the flange-bracket projection made on the guide-post A, so that when the staple guide block B is forced downward by the action of other' parts of the machine the cam-arm C willrock outward and carry the'tongue h out of its normal position just previous to the clinching of a staple.- f

A spring, k, is attached by one end'to the end of the stapleguiding block B above the bent arm Oof the yoke C, and bent to form a volutecoil, the other end of the spring being inserted into the arm C such adistance from its fulcrum-pivot as to insure a return of the yoke and its tongueh to normal position when pressure is removed from the block B.

In the two parallel and vertical holes that are formed in the guide-post A that have been before alluded to the sliding bars D are fitted so as to slide freely. These bars are of suicient length to permit a proper reciprocal movementof the operative mechanism, lwhich is mounted upon these parallel bars,when the bars are actuated to produce such a motion.

The upper ends of bars D are secured together by a spacing-block, m, which is rigidly attached to the bars by any proper means, and this block is firmly fastened to the brackethead E by a set boltor rivet, m. The brackethead E is a rectangular oblong piece of metal with an integral forwardlyprojecti nglimb, E', formed at its upper end, the head being of proper thickness to afford stability.

A perforation is made in the limb E of the bracket head E about in its center, and a depending 'guiding-plunger, F, is secured in this perforation, this plunger being parallel throughoutits length to the front face or wall of thebracket-head E.

A' sliding block, F', is perforated longitudinally to allow it to slide upon the plunger F, and have its rear face in contact with the front face of the bracket-head E, and on the front face of the sliding block Favertical raceway, G, is attached.

ton-shank slot or groove a to intersect it and thusfprovide'a passage -for staples, which are first-hooked into theeyes of the buttons so that nand attached raceway Gand sliding block F at the lowest point of sliding movement to the bracket-head E, against which .the block F moves when reciprocated on the plunger F.

fi-The buttonandstaple retaining magazine I is verticallysupported upon the platen H by al center pivot, on which it may be revolved. Itv consists, essentially, of top and bottom circular disks or heads, to the peripheral edges of which a series of sheetmetal chutes,"1, are secured as vertical stares that forma skeleton cylinder. l

Each trough or it that is 'IT-shaped in cross-section. The vertical slit o in front of each chute l receives the shank of the button-eye edgewise of the eye, so that a staple hooked through the buttoneye may have its limbs or prongs introduced int'o the elongated cross-slot of the Tshaped conduit or passage, and thus afford a receiver fora series of buttons and staples hooked in theirk eyes that will freely slide down each chute if not prevented by a stop at the bottoni of these chutes:

v`On the platen H, at its front edge. twol upright `pins or studs, p, are affixed. These are located on each side of the vertical groove n of 'the raceway G, at equal distances therefrom.

- p and be held yby themto prevent they ring from turning around. y

When the several vertical chutes -I of the magazine I areilled with buttons and staples,

as previously stated, the weight of the buttons will rest on the ring `Land by frictional con- I tact on ythersurface of the ring preventany accidental rotative displacementof the maga` zine, which, it is evident,rmay be easily ro-l tated by the handpf thev operator of the machine to -loringthe chutes l sue'cessivelyin position to discharge the buttons and staples they contain into theraceway G. Y Upon vthe-front surface of one side, preferably theerightsidgof theraceway G a buttonfeeding forlgpK, is pivoted. y vTheprongs't of the fork project froma notched head, s', a suiti-Y -cient distance outside the edge ofithe raceway to be engaged by a finger, K', which is inserted` lbetween themprongs, vand is rigidly` attached -by its other endvtothe side ofthe .bracketheadE. A A .Y

The head s' on the button-feeding fork k is so located with regardto buttons that descend -thegroove ny of theraceway that when the head isrocked to carry -the prongs s downwardv its scalloped front edge will engage a button, and this upward movement` of the forked`Av ends s will-push the engaged. button below the fork .K,so that thefork answersv the double" purpose of astop orcut-o" and a feeder, which will periodically feed a button fromabove the fork to a point below it in the racewa-y G when v this raceway is lin contact with, the ,stapl'efgnid- 'ving block B, aswill. befurther explained.

A slot is made through t-h-e lower end ofthe f sliding block F fromfront to rear ofthe sanne,

so as to leave equal walls remainr thus locating the slot'in the center of theblockfthe admit a staple-upsetting die, M, which `isfinvtended to reciprocate a` limited distance hoributvton-chute-l is bentover a f f former to, afford a continuous passage thron gh zontally'lin the slot. v

The lower end of the bracket-head E li'sfcut" away so as to leave.two depending flanges, t

t2," whiehare perforated to receive the rounded l rearwardly-etended shank v ofthe staple-upsetting die M,- and thusfafford boiesfor the fing" against 'the'forward dange', t', with one of its ends, and a crossfpn, v', that is inserted tightly `into and through a transverse hole v made in the shank o; This arrangement'of .thespring will ycanse the free rear end of this shank to project a short distance beyond the rear face ofthesupporting-iiange t2. The front end of the upsetting-die. M is provided with two round prongs, that are of a length about equalto the width of the staple chute in the raceway, so that when the fvertiealfheight of thisslot beingl suflcifentto rco -K upsetting-die is in forward adjustment these e bear on thetop surface of the bow. of they staple on each side ofthe button-eye, and .when

Y a staple'is in this position theiaction of alower die that clinches the staple will be aidedwin.

the operation by thesupport thusafforded toV thearch or bow of the staple from; itscontaot withv the upsettingfdie M.

Upon the top surface of the guide-,postf-Ai,

/- between the sliding b'ars.D an upright post, v

Afa proper distance .to project the prongs Zoffthis di'ea'cross the vertical staplefchnteofthe'raceprongs will lie across this chute or channelto i way G to engage the top surface of the loop of astaplejustprevious to the operation of clinching the staple.

Above the cam slopet the post L is reduced, and preferably rounded, to slide in a neatlyttting perforation made through the spacingbloek m, that projects rearwardly from the brackethead E, as shown at u in Fig. 3.

, The sliding'bars D are extended such a distance below the baseplate ot the machine as to aord proper reciprocal travel to the brackethead E and parts attached to it. The lower ends of the bars D are connected in any suitable manner so as to provide a wrist-piu between them near the lower extremi'ty of the bars, by which a pitman, l?, is attached to operate the machine.

The pitman P may be connected to a springtreadle,-O, or, if the machine is to be operated by other than manual power, a crankshaft may be substituted for the treadle, and thus transmit motion to the device.

It will be understood that the normal post tion of the bracket-head E is that shown in Fig. 1, or elevated to remove the sliding block F sufficiently above the staple guide block B to admita shoeilap to be placed properly over this block, and also that the spiral spring H will normally retain the raceway and attached sliding block F at the lowest point of vertical travel of the block on its plunger-guide F. When the parts are in this position, the button cut-off and feeding-fork K will be so adjusted that the head of the cutoff will lie across the groove of the raceway and thus prevent the downward movement ofthe buttons.

At a proper point between the cut off head 8' ot' the feeding-fork K and the lower t Vend of the raceway G a bent spring, R, is affixed by one end to the front surface of the raceway, and it is so curved that it will lie across the path of a button that has been fed by the scalloped head s of the feeding-fork K, and prevent buttons thus operated upon from falling out of the open lower end of the raceway. The spring-detent R is of such resilience that it will yield to the downward pressure effected by a rocking action of the feeding-fork K, and so allow one button to pass it for each stroke or reciprocal movement of the sliding bracket-head E.

Thelmagazine I havingits chutes tilled with buttons and attached staples, one of these chutes is brought into line with the groove n of the raceway G. Thebuttons and staples will thus be permitted to fill the raceway above the heads s of the fork K, the chute and raceway being retained in alignment by the weight of the buttons, as has been before mentioned.

New, to put the machine in use, the brackethead E, depressed by thefoot of the operator applied to the treadle, or other means, if a treadle is not used, the lowering of the bracket-head E will cause the sliding block F' and att-ached raceway G to have contact with the shoe -vtiap on its adjacent or upper surface.

Now, as the spiral spring c is comparatively stiff, it supports the impingement of the sliding block until thelatternamedpiece is forced treadle, permitting the spiral spring H t0 re-` tract and, from its resilience, cause this upward movement of the block. Ashoe having its iiap properly located upon the staple-guiding block B, a downward stroke of the bracket-head will cause the staple of the button which occupies the lowest place in the groove n, and consequently rests upon the detentspring B., to be vengaged on the top surface of its bow or bent portion by the prongs of the upsetting-die M, as the cam-slope ton the post L is so made that it will now come into action and push the die forward. A continuation of the downard movement of the bracket-head E will cause its forwardly-projecting limb E to engage the upper end of the sliding block F and force it downward, so as to thrust the pointed ends of the staple-prongs through the shoe-flap and into the oritces afforded for their reception in the top surface of the guideb1ock B. When the staple legs or prongs enter the guiding-block B, each prong is engaged by the diagonal grooves e e', located in this block, and the vertical pressure of the upsetting-die M upon the staple will cause the points of the opposite sides of the guiding-block until these vprongs are engaged by the head or top face of the anvil-bar, d, and the staples folded so as to lie parallel to each other and in close contact with each other and the lower surface of the shoe-flap, this contact of the anvil-bar being caused by the yielding of the spiral spring which supports the guidingblock B. The downward movement of theguiding-block rio B will cause the cani-arm C to rock and re l surface of the prongslof the upsetting-die M,

which are adapted tol bear upon the upper surface of a staple that is being clinched to the shoe-Hap, and press downwardly on each side of the button-eye, will have a tendency to recurve the bow of the staple, and thus close it toward the eye of the button, which will hold the button better in place and prevent lateral motion of its eye-in 'the staple, as would result if the rounded arch ofthe staple were not closed farrangement together without a departure from the spirit and scope of'my invention;

hence I do not wish to restrict` myself to the exact forms and combinations of parts herein Having fullydescribed myinventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In 'a button-setting machine, the combination, with a bracket-head supported to reciprocate vertically, and a sliding block carrying a raceway, of a platen and a staplefeeding magazine adapted .to be turned on the platen to line its chutes with the raceway,

substantially as set forth.

2. In a button setting machine, the combination, with a base-plate and gnide-post affixed to the base-plate, of two sliding bars, a bracket-head affixed to thesliding bars, asliding block, a raceway adapted to move with the sliding block, a platen, and a spring-located between the platen. and bracket-head, substantially as set forth.

3. In a button-setting machine, the combination, with a bracket-head adapted to recip rocate vertically,aplunger-rod, a sliding block guided by the plungerrod, a platen, and a spiral spring located between the platen and the bracket-head, of a raceway, a magazine, a base-ring for the button-chutes of the magazine, and twostop posts or studs that engage the free ends of the cut base-ring, substantially as set forth.

4. In a button-setting machine, a skeleton button-andstaple holding and feeding magazine having a base-ring loosely supported at the lower ends of the chutes, the ends of said ring being separated sufficiently for the passage of the buttons from a single chute, substantially as set forth.

5.. In a button setting machine, a skeleton button-andstaple holding and feeding vertical cylindrical magazine, made up of separate chutes and provided with a loosely-fitting base-ring that rests on projections at the lower end of the magazine, and has a portion of its body removed, forming two free ends, and

stops on a platen on which the'magazine rests, adapted toengage the free ends of the ring, substantially as set forth.

6. In a button-setting machine, the combination,with a brackethead supported to reciprocate. vertically, a raceway adapted to reci p` nation, with a sliding block and a raceway, of an upsetti 11g-die supported to reciprocate horifzovntally, a spring to hold this die out ofthe path of a staple'v inthe raceway, anda campost adapted to engage the free end of theshank of the upsetting-die to project' the"npsetting 'die above a staple which has passed theudie and is still retained in the raceway by'afdetentspring, substantially as set forth. f

8. In a button-setting machine, the ycombination, with a` raceway, a sliding block, a bracket-head, two sliding bars, a perforated base-block, and a cam-postaftixed tothetop of the base-block, of an upsetting-die'adapted to reciprocate in the lower end of the sliding block and engage the cam-post lat one vend to project it above abutto'n-staple when the staple is to be clinched, substantially as set forth.

9. In a button-setting machine, the combination, with a bracket-head secured'to a reciprocatingv rod, a sliding block, a raceway, and an adjustable magazine located above said raceway, of a button-feeding fork, anda finger projecting from the bracket-head and engag-v ing the forks of the button-feeder, substantially as set forth. A

1.0. In a buttonsetting machine, the combination, with a bracket-head supported to reciprocate vertically, a sliding block that'recipro-V ,Cates on a plunger which is attached to alimb of the bracket-head, a plunger, a raceway,.and a platen which are attached to the. sliding block, of a spiral springthat holds the platen and attached sliding block away from the limb rco of the bracket-head, substantially as set'forth. i

l1.` In a button-feeding machine, the combination, with .a reciprocating bracket-head, a sliding block, and a raceway, of a button-feeding fork, a finger to engage this fork, and a detent-spring that prevents the improper escape of buttons fromthe lower end of the raceway, substantiallyas set forth. n

12. In a button-feeding machine, thecombination, with a staple-guiding block having diagonal grooves to deliect the points of a staple in opposite directions from a straight line, of a yoke, a spacing-tongue integral with. or af-l fixed to the yoke, and a cam-arm adapted to vibrate the tongue outwardly when a staple is to be clinched, substantially asset forth. 13. In a button-setting machine, the combination, with'a base-plate and a .Thead'projection on the upper side of the baselplate, of

IIO

two guide-rods,adapted`to slide in fholes vin this T-head, and a staplegniding block affixed to the upper ends of the guide-rods, sub-L the top surface of the base-plate, of' a'` staple-y guiding block, an anvil-bantwo guide-rods, a

center guide-rod, and a spring to hol/d the stair pleguiding block above the T-head piece on which the anvil-bar is secured between' ther guide-"rods, substantially as set forth.,v .n

15; In a button-setting machine, thecombination, with a base-platee T-head portion button-staple when the bracket-head is moved of the base-plate perforated vto receive guideupward, and to be projected over a staple when rods, two guide-rods, a stap1e-guiding block, this staple is to be clinched, substantially as r 5 a spacing-tongue, a pivoted yoke to which the set forth. 5 tongue is affixed, a. cam-arm, a. spring adapted In testimony whereof I have signed. this to hold the staple-guiding block oi` of the T- speoieationin the presence of two subscrlbing head, and an anvil-bar, of two sliding bars, a witnesses.

bracket-head, a sliding block, a racewa a platen, a magazine, a combined button-ed` ALEXANDER G' VHLKINS' xo ing fork and cut-off, a linger to engage Vthis Witnesses:

fork, a detent-spring, and an upsetting-die A. L. DUNBA-R,

adapted to normally lie oiit of the path of a' B. F. CULP. 

